Reinventing the kitchen at In-Home

Restored, Refound and Reinvented Furniture & Home Decor Gifts and More, 177 Water St. and 129 Front St., Exeter, 583-4889

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In-Home

Restored, Refound and Reinvented Furniture & Home Decor Gifts and More, 177 Water St. and 129 Front St., Exeter, 583-4889

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Hot for the Kitchen

Long before Anna Evans opened her home furnishings store, In-Home, in Exeter, she was widely known among her friends and selected clients for her woodworking, refinishing, and extensive skills in the fine arts.

At In-Home at 177 Water St., her specialty has been what she calls "restored, refound, and reinvented" objects that she has created herself, ranging from bentwood dish racks — made from branches she harvested herself, then cured and shaped — to beautifully refinished tables supported by quirky legs salvaged from antique machinery or discarded furniture.

Now with the recent opening of a second shop in Exeter by the same name, Evans has expanded her services to include interior design, upholstery, custom refinishing and painting of furniture, and custom-designed and fabricated furnishings of all kinds.

Born in England to a family who loved collecting antiques, at an early age Evans and her twin brother learned from their father how to use tools and refinish furniture. While she was a student in art school, Evans helped to support herself with her woodworking skills. After finishing art school, she painted murals and furniture.

After she married an American and moved to the United States, she applied her talents to the renovations of two homes, doing everything from construction carpentry and welding to fine finish work. On the floor of one room she painted an astonishing faux wood grain that not only gave the room warmth and style, but was, she said, considerably less expensive to paint than installing the wood that the grain imitated.

Evans has quickly developed a strong following, many clients asking for interior design of entire homes and businesses, others consulting her about one small space or even a single object they wish to refinish, reupholster, or make the centerpiece of a room.

For the kitchen, she can offer large and lovely cupboards for storing dishes, kitchenware, or linens. If you are unsure of what to do with a cherished vase or bowl, she can arrange in it a mass of realistic artificial flowers or greenery that will make it a focal point in the kitchen or dining room. Antiques, unusual candles, glassware, serving ware, new and antique cutlery, lighting, linens and more can be found at both In-Home locations.

It's clear that Evans' favorite way of expressing her creativity remains in making new pieces out of the parts of old ones. One burnished tabletop has round antique typewriter keys embedded into its glowing wood surface. Another table was crafted with legs cleverly made from iron stove burners, another with legs of bark-covered tree trunks, and yet another is supported by an antique sewing machine treadle.

Customers who are interested in ordering a custom-made piece can discuss their needs in a free consultation. It helps to have a photo or description of what you have in mind and of the space that will hold it. The fee for interior design is charged at an hourly rate, with the first hour deducted once a contract is signed.